


Soft Smiles and Gentle Days

by majesticduxk



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Curtain Fic, Gen, Gentle, Humour, Slice of Life, bitter sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2020-01-14 22:48:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18486019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/majesticduxk/pseuds/majesticduxk
Summary: So this is how it ends





	Soft Smiles and Gentle Days

**Author's Note:**

> This is my gift for boysinperil, as part of the 2019 springfling.  
> Many thanks to [BeforePeaceIsAStorm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeforePeaceIsAStorm/profile) for the super fast beta

Dean didn’t have to get up early anymore. There was no more war to fight and no more monsters hiding behind every corner. Not that they were monster free, but most weren’t stupid enough to bother a Winchester, and if they were? That sort of stupid didn’t require early. So no, he didn’t have to get up early. 

He just _did_.

Now that they’d moved out of the bunker and were in a proper house – and when the fuck did that even happen? – he had a huge ass window that let the sun in early every morning. He could have closed the curtains… but even three years in, there was something magical about getting up and not having to save the world. Plus the completely over the top midnight blue velvet curtains looked best when they were tied back. Who was he to mess with that shit?

Waking to sunbeams was kinda awesome, and there was a spring in his step as he clambered down the stairs. He didn’t need to be quiet – Sammy was probably out running, and nothing except the scent of fresh coffee would rouse Cas. So he happily bustled about the kitchen, putting on coffee, whipping up a batch of waffles, and had the table set just as Cas came lurching into the kitchen. Not a moment passed before the front door closed with a bang.

Mentally patting himself on the back, Dean brought the dishes to the table. He was Martha motherfucking Stewart in the kitchen, and he still had impeccable sense of timing. Life was fucking good.

~o~

Surveying the breakfast table, Sam wondered if he should go shower before he ate. On the one hand, he stank. On the other hand…

“Dig in, Sammy. It’s best while it’s hot.”

That answered that question. Smiling his thanks at his brother, Sam drifted into the kitchen to wash his hands and then pull Cas away from the coffee machine. Cas growled at him.

“Yes, yes,” he soothed. “But there’s more coffee at the table. And you can just… good!”

Honestly, it was like dealing with a toddler, Sam thought, as he maneuvered Cas into his seat.

“Why don’t you just let him sleep?” Sam complained at his brother.

Gesturing with a fork laden with waffles, syrup and whipped cream, Dean opened his mouth, and Sam gagged slightly.

“Gross, Dean. Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

As the mature genes apparently took one look at Dean and fled, his forty-five-year-old brother grinned broadly and emphasised every single chewing motion. Sam just sneered when some of the masticated waffled fell onto Dean’s plate. Finally swallowing, Dean just laughed.

“As if I would go wake Cas up before he was ready.”

Sam opened his mouth. Then shut it. They’d faced down some of the worst things the world had to offer, but a morning Cas was up there.

Nodding, Sam reached for more coffee.

Breakfast, he reflected, might be his favourite meal of the day. The day was filled with such potential and he actually looked forward to it! That more than anything he’d never really get used to. Life had been one step in front of the other, just hoping to make it out alive. He never looked forward to the future. He didn’t even think he had a future! Hell, they hadn’t even had breakfast when they lived on the road. Sure, they _ate_ in the morning, but diner food had a sameness to it. Probably why Dean liked it so much, Sam reflected with a pang. One of the few constants in their life.

Resolutely shaking his head, Sam went to stand up from the table. Which was apparently when Cas woke up.

~o~

“I wanted to head into the city today. I have a number of important tasks to complete. Dean, Sam, would you like to accompany me?”

It really was amazing the way Cas went from grunting beast to awkward but comprehensible in a matter of seconds. Probably reached the minimum caffeine blood content for speech. Cas would still take a few moments to reach full potential though, so Dean was in before the puppy dog eyes could be used.

“Sorry, bud. Got important things to do today.”

Sam shot him a bitchface - totally uncalled for! He really did have important things to do! - before smiling at Cas.

“I’d love to accompany you, Cas. I can be ready in twenty?”

Cas nodded and Dean did a silent fistpump. He loved his family, but he would get the house to himself for the whole morning! Life was fucking good!

~o~

Castiel headed straight to _The BeeMan_. He’d never been to this market, but he’d researched. This particular store had 30% of the goods on his list, so it made sense to start there.

Cas stilled, and Sam bumped into the back of him.

“Cas? What the hell?”

“ _The BeeMan_ will supply 30% of the list. Should we start at the other stores and finish with the _The BeeMan_ so we are not carrying around the majority of our items for the entirety of our trip?”

Sam laughed at him, taking his arm and pulling him back towards the trolleys.

“Let’s grab one of these, so it doesn’t matter how much we carry. And, let’s just start here and work our way round. It’s amazing, Cas! I hadn’t even heard of this farmers market, and it’s huge!”

Allowing himself to be lead, Cas smiled. This way they could even get things not on his list!

~o~

“-and sometimes I wonder if there is something wrong with me. After all, we now live in paradise. Something I never once expected. And yet… and yet I can’t help waiting for the other shoe to ‘drop’”

Sam hid his smile at Castiel’s finger quotes. Some things never got old.

‘’Does this mean I will never be content? At peace? Why am I constantly looking for danger? Am I doing something wrong?”

As Cas trailed off, Sam licked his ice cream cone encouragingly. The silence was not uncomfortable, and Cas probably didn’t need to pressured into expressing his thoughts. Sam sat there, eyes glazed happily with each taste of the honey ice cream. Not a combination he would have tried, but oh so satisfying.

 

That pleasure too was fleeting, and with a sad sigh, Sam popped the tip of the cone in his mouth. Cas, he noted, has allowed his ice cream to drip down his hand. Obviously, they would just need to come back so Cas could enjoy one.

Equally obviously, Cas wasn’t going to break the silence.

“I think it’s okay to not be there yet. You, me, Dean… we spent our whole lives at war. And for you…” Sam chuckled. “Well that was a hell of a long time.”

Castiel smiled. “You know, I’ve been here a very long time.”

Squeezing Cas’s shoulder, Sam stood up.

“Dean and I struggle too, and we weren’t soldiers for anywhere near as long.”

“It is not a competition, Sam. And as a percentage of your lifetime, it is still significant,” Cas interrupted with a frown.

Sam waved the dissent away. “The point is, it’s okay for this to be hard. I still find it hard, and since Dean never talks about it, I assume he does too.”

Brow furrowed, Cas nodded before licking hand.

“My ice cream melted Sam. I do wonder if that is a metaphor for life.”

~o~

“Would it have helped you to _oh_!”

Sam was interrupted mid-rant as he found his brother mid-snore on the sofa.

“Guess that explains why you couldn’t help.” Shaking his head, Sam smirked. “And something important to do, huh? Yeah that looks important.”

Continuing on his way to the kitchen, Sam called back to Cas. 

“You hungry? I’ll put the stuff away and get started.”

Cas nodded, but stayed, staring at Dean.

Deeply asleep, a soft smile played on his lips and an open book rested on his chest. He really did look relaxed. Perhaps he was dreaming about his book? Craning his neck, Cas read the title.

“ _The Marrow Thieves_? Oh no, no that doesn’t sound like it would bring good dreams.”

Still. Dean looked happy. Content. Even, Cas thought, at peace.

~o~

Dean awoke with a jolt, spidey senses tingling. Looking around, Cas was staring at him. Annoying, but not uncommon. Not something that would wake him up. Closing his eyes, he listened. And there! There it was! It was barely a whisper, but it was enough to have him find his feet and carefully place the bookmark in his book, before storming off to the kitchen.

He was disappointed but unsurprised by what he found. 

Pulling the wooden spoon out of Sam’s hand and held it at his throat before checking to make sure the oven wasn’t on. 

“Do my eyes deceive me, Sam? This looks like a cooking implement. And it was in _your_ hand. Don’t tell me you were going to _cook_?” 

Sam didn’t answer. 

“I don’t have many rules, Sam, but this? This is the big one. No fucking way do you cook in my kitchen.”

Pushing Sam towards the kitchen table, and _away_ from the cooking area, Sam went, but he dragged his feet. 

“I thought the big one was velvet curtains have to have contrasting ties around them.”

Dean stopped, fridge door wide open, and considered Sam’s words. 

“That’s an important one,” he acknowledged. “But if you burn the house down, then we don’t have to worry about the curtains. So stay over there.”

Dean gestured with the spoon, and Sam sulked over to the seat. 

“I’m not that bad you know.”

“You really are,” Dean replied.

~o~ 

Cas stayed in the background, watching as the Winchesters bickered with each other, and felt content. 

In that moment, all was right with the world.

**Author's Note:**

> It came from the prompts: TFW and A Day In The Life. 
> 
> And I realised it gave me the opportunity to write the ending that *I* wanted. 
> 
> This is the first thing I have written this year... here's hoping there is lots more to come.


End file.
